Pictures of schematics created by hand.
From 1987 to 2004 I worked at San Diego Trolley Inc. in San Diego CA. During 1989 I began a project on my own time at home to create a complete set of schematics of the system using the Corel Presentations program that we had at the time. I used copies of the finalized set of construction drawings to work from. I created the schematics using the Shapes feature of the program, using one shape at a time to create each item and section of the schematics. The first set was of the original 1981 startup system that ran from downtown San Diego near the Santa Fe Train Depot to the Mexican border. Then I created the new extension of 1986 that ran from the main transfer station east to Euclid. When the next extention to El Cajon was being prepared, I used the construction drawings and photos of the area to create the schematics for that extension. And so it continued for each new extension. I did all the work at home on my own time with no pay. Once each set of schematics was completed I presented them to my Boss for his approval.
The schematics were originally created for us by our dept, the Maintenance of Wayside and Power, but, they were soon requested by the Transportation dept for use to train their new Train Operators on the system. So I created three special sets for them, one that was just of the track area itself that the Train Operations were tested with to pinpoint where the various switches and signals were located on the system, and the other two were also used as visual and exam documents.
A special set was also created for the Executive Officers of San Diego Trolley, Inc, as they used the schematics to show other transit operations that were planning to start their own light rail system the layout of our system as a model for them to go by.
The most important use of these schematics came into play at the time of the 9/11 attack, when rail systems across the country were working with the state and government agencies in securing their system bridges and other areas of concern for terrorist attacks that could cause the loss of thousands of lives.
A special set of schematics was needed for the 1998 super bowl that would be held in San Diego for the first time. The game would be played at the Qualcomm Stadium, and due to the amount of traffic from both in-town and out of town attendees, San Diego Trolley was designated as the primary mode of transportation for attendees getting to and from the stadium. A plan was initiate that would efficiently move passengers to and from the Stadium in a manner that would not over load the power system in that area.
There would be a specific number of trains staged at the stadium during the game in order to be ready to roll as soon as the game was over. Each train consist was made up of 3 trains, and each consist had to be spaced out at specific time frames so as not to overload the power grid in that area and delay train movement, or if it blew a transformer in the substation, it could strand thousands of people with no way to leave the venue. So timing of each departure was imperative to keep the trains and passengers moving.
These schematics were used not only by our company for train movement, but, by the local law enforcement and State and Federal agencies that were there to maintain crowd control and security.
When I first began the project I had no idea that they would become so important. After the 1998 Super Bowl, I received a Letter of Commendation from my boss for my work in providing the schematics on my own time and without pay. If the company had to hire a company to create the schematics for them it would have cost them thousands of dollars, if not more. Perhaps they might have been more professional looking, but, they would not have been any more accurate, or useful, than the ones that I created one line, one circle, one square or triangle at a time over the years for free.
Here are two pictures of the schematics I created of the Qualcomm Stadium. The first shows the station there with a color legend that defines the type of equipment that is located at that site.
The second is of the staging of the trains at that station for the Super Bowl. Due to the success of the first Super Bowl there in 1998, San Diego was awarded the 2003 Super Bowl and the same staging process at the stadium, and the same schematics were used.
The schematics that I created for SDTI are 'one of a kind', and have seen many uses other than the purpose they were initially intended for, not only by our company, but, by our parent company and State and Federal agencies. I am pretty proud of the work, and am grateful for the opportunity I had to create them. It was a great learning process of not only the software, as I had to be self taught with it, but, in how to create images one shape at a time. To me, they are a work of art...and a work of love.
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